Category Archives: Spoonbill

Stork Chasing Spoonbill

This is one of many Stork and Spoonbill interactions taken one morning in a rice field at Donnelley wildlife area.

There were a number of times a Wood Stork chased Spoonbills away from the only log in the area. A Roseate Spoonbill would climb on the log, another would push him off, then repeat, finally a Stork snapped. Storks are like calm old men, Spoonbills are clowns.

Stork Chasing Spoonbill
Stork Chasing Spoonbill

I think there were so many like this some images were just skipped at random. At least I had color coded these in the PC as to do files.

In The Oaks, Roseate Spoonbill

Spoonbills, Live Oaks, and Spanish Moss.

In The Oaks, Roseate Spoonbill
In The Oaks, Roseate Spoonbill

A small group of Spoonbill have taken up residence around the old Magnolia Cemetery.

In The Oaks, Roseate Spoonbill
In The Oaks, Roseate Spoonbill

They should be moving on soon, probably when the water levels go down. However they have been there longer than anyone would have thought.

If they clown around in the right tree some nice opportunities can be had.

Southern Marsh Scene

Looking down a large pond lined with southern Live Oaks.

This scene has all the pieces that make a classic southern image. There is a huge Live Oak with long streaming Spanish Moss. You can see the branches hang over low water, pink Roseate Spoonbills rest on a limb, even a tropical Anhinga sits in the upper right side of the tree.

This photograph had everything on a check list I could think of.

Southern Marsh Scene
Southern Marsh Scene

Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills

Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks have the complete opposite temperament. You have big pink clowns, and serious looking ‘old man’ tall guys.

I find it funny both species tend to flock together, at least for a while.

Spoonbills aways gather, and look to climb, any log or branch in a marsh. They will push and snap at each other almost like a game. All these Spoonbill were juveniles making it even louder.

Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills
Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills
Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills
Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills

Sooner or later one of the calm Wood Storks will lose it…enough with the chaos.

Below a Stork snapped at, then ran off, the clowns.

Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills
Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills
Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills
Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills
Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills
Clowns Over Stayed Their Welcome, Spoonbills

Calm was soon restored, the Storks enjoying their quiet time again. The clowns will soon be back, the routine repeats itself.

Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, ACE Basin, South Carolina.